Super hydrophobic coating product

Someone shared this video with me and thought I'd pass it along for general discussion here. The uses for this product seem unlimited and revolutionary, IF this product is for real (and not the next asbestos). One example that was brought up was for HVAC coils, the defrost cycle could be eliminated greatly increasing the unit's SEER. I was blown away by the potential applications.

said by »www.spillcontainment.com/everdry : Ultra-Ever Dry is a superhydrophobic (water) and oleophobic (hydrocarbons) coating that will completely repel almost any liquid. Ultra-Ever Dry uses proprietary nanotechnology to coat an object and create a barrier of air on its surface. This barrier repels water, refined oil, wet concrete, and other liquids unlike any other coating. Ultra-Ever Dry has vastly improved adhesion and abrasion resistance, compared to previous technologies, allowing it to be used in applications where greater durability is required.

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with this product. Would be nice as I'd say someone is going to be raking in the bucks.

14. What chemicals will the material not work with? Answer: Certain solvents, alcohols and soap/detergents will cause the surface of the coating to wet-out. Oncethese chemicals are removed, the superhydrophobicity will generally return.------"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." - Aldous Huxley

I noticed that too, and it's a 2 coat application so you have to buy the base and top. We were toying around, hypothetically of course, in an engine application. Less friction, less heat would translate to better mpg and engine longevity. Or take the HVAC possibility, in certain applications it might pay for itself. Coating work gloves or boots, like in the video, would be rather silly.

The uses for this product seem unlimited and revolutionary, IF this product is for real (and not the next asbestos).

Hydrophobic coatings and substances aren't all that new. The hard part about them is to make them last long term without requiring additional coatings. The gloves in the video are an example where it looks cool at first, but use them for any length of time and the areas that do a lot of flexing (e.g. nuckles) or abrasions (e.g. palms) and the hydrophobicness wears off.

One example that was brought up was for HVAC coils, the defrost cycle could be eliminated greatly increasing the unit's SEER.

If a hydrophobic coating could greatly increase a unit's energy efficiency, it would have already been done. Maybe it wouldn't be with some uber-hydrophobic coating, but at least something. But it's not. Coils often go the opposite way, with hydrophillic coatings. Why? Because it helps keep the coatings clean. Water dropplets on a hydrophobic surface will bead up, while the same dropplets will sheet out and glide over the hydrophillic, washing away debris. Both will remove water faster than an uncoated surface.

Currently the "best" coating seems to be epoxy coatings that can have some hydrophillic properties, but also is more resistant to chemical corrosion especially organic acids that can cause formicarycorrosion as well as environments that normally would eat away untreated coils, such as salty air around oceans.

Believe me, I'm not rushing out to buy any. You also bring up many valid points. To play devil's advocate here though. Back to the coils. What if this product surpasses its predecessors. If it does such a good job repelling water that water won't have a chance to stick to the coils?

I hear you on the longevity issue as well. Believe they address that as well discussing abrasion vs the coating, interior vs exterior application, etc.

What if this product surpasses its predecessors. If it does such a good job repelling water that water won't have a chance to stick to the coils?

Just because it's a hydrophobic surfaces doesn't mean it won't freeze. Ask anyone who lives in the north who uses Rain-X if they still have to scrape frost on their windows. If the coils are cold enough, there's a chance that the droplets will still freeze, regardless if they are "sticking" to the coils. And once that starts, the accumulated ice will just grow and grow.

The uses for this product seem unlimited and revolutionary, IF this product is for real (and not the next asbestos).

Hydrophobic coatings and substances aren't all that new. The hard part about them is to make them last long term without requiring additional coatings.

Hydrophobic coatings are often applied to antenna covers (radomes) to minimize snow/ice buildup. But that only works above -10C and eventually runs off and needs to be reapplied.

The only permanent solution is bonding a thick film with tiny hairs to the surface which mimic lotus leaf and other hydrophobic natural surfaces. They usually incorporate PFPE ( perflouropolyether ) or other Teflon like chemicals.

Aquapel on my windshield from last May is still holding its own. Not like it was at first application, but really, after 9 months...its got rain-x beat by 8 months!

I would like to see this on raingear, umbrellas, (if food safe...inside peanutbutter jars, syrups, honey...), paint containers, caulkguns, ... anything that has some kinda material that is resistant to removal-expulsion...Might be good in automotive applications (doubtful of cylinders due to heat...but maybe oil pans or other liquid passages), outside of cars or underneath, wheel wells...Tarps, roofing, gutters... lots of opportunities

I read once that certain nano-gear was banned from swimmers and competition. I think they had zero resistance in water...wonder how hulls could do with this (if it doesn't wear off)...--Splat

there were maybe.....4? 5? 6? different companies at CES this year (2013) selling hydrophobic coating solutions.

They predominately target the consumer electronics, or electronics in general, industry.

The stuff is not "home-applicable" (eg you cant get it in a spray can).

its either applied via spin-coating using a solvent or polymer melt, vapor deposition, langmuir-blodget film, or some other standard polymer surface-modification method used in the field of materials science.

Patents differ by process and random distinctions in chemical structure: